Hawley surges past Cisco in second half, clinches region title

ABILENE — For the first time of 2021, Hawley trailed at halftime. A strong start from Cisco put the Loboes ahead 14-7 at halftime of Friday's Region I-2A Division I final game.

The Bearcats, however, responded well to snatch the gold ball out of the Loboes' hands. Hawley outscored Cisco 10-0 in the second half to win 17-14 and advance to the 2A Division I state semifinals. 

The win puts Hawley in the state semifinals for the first time in school history.

"I'm super proud of them," head coach Mitch Ables said. "What an outstanding game. We're going to enjoy the heck out of this, have a party in the dressing room."

Hawley was without its starting running back, Austin Cumpton, due to a back injury. The Bearcats struggled to move the ball consistently in the first half in Cumpton’s absence, posting just 89 yards of total offense and turning it over twice.

In the second half, however, Hawley made adjustments. The Bearcats installed screen passes into their offense to complement their run game.

“It was huge,” Ables said. “They did a great job covering the deep ball, so we had to make some adjustments on the running game and short passes: Get some short yardage at a time. Against a team like that, that’s what you have to do.”

Sophomore Diontay Ramon made his first career start at running back, rushing for 86 yards and a touchdown. Senior Aeneas Segura also notched a rushing touchdown for the Bearcats.

Producing in Cumpton’s absence was a tall task, but his backups filled the void well.

“We had to step up,” Ramon said. “This game was big. Coach told us we had to step up or we were going to go home — I didn’t want to go home.”

Ables added, “They stepped up in those holes and played incredible football. I’m really proud of those guys; they did a great job.”

Despite the loss, Cisco’s run game excelled. Loboes quarterback Hunter Long ran for 153 yards and two touchdowns, averaging 6.1 yards per carry. As a team, the Loboes went for 268 rushing yards.

After Hawley took a 17-14 lead with a Kason O'Shields field goal, Cisco put together a lengthy drive. The Loboes drove down the field and got into the red zone with less than four minutes remaining.

As the Loboes threatened to retake the lead, Hawley’s defense rose to the occasion. 

The Bearcats forced a turnover on downs and stymied a well-drawn reverse play on fourth down. Long caught a pass from Tre Brackeen but was nailed one yard short of the line to gain, giving Hawley possession with 2:28 left.

“It was huge,” Ables said. “We just happened to be in the right spot and we were able to make a play and stop them.”

After a Hawley punt, Cisco got the ball at its own 13 with 24 seconds left but couldn’t work any magic.

Miscues were also costly for the Loboes. They turned it over three times and committed seven penalties for 70 yards.

One of those penalties came midway through the fourth quarter when Hawley had the ball in the red zone. Cisco forced an incompletion on fourth down, but a Lobo defensive back was called for pass interference, extending Hawley’s drive.

Four plays later, O’Shields nailed the go-ahead field goal.

“It was the game changer,” Cisco head coach Kevin Stennett said. “It really dictated the outcome of the game.”

Hawley, 14-0, is now one win away from its first state title appearance. Even without their star tailback, the Bearcats made a statement in the regional final.

“We knew this team could be special if we stuck together,” Ables said. “Hats off to Cisco for sure. It was a knock-down, drag-out until the final buzzer.”

As for Cisco, the Loboes finish with an 11-3 overall record. Aside from penalties and turnovers, Stennett is proud of his team’s fight in the Region I title game.

“I’m very proud of the way we blocked up front and ran the football,” Stennett said. “We blocked well and played a great game, but you can’t get behind the sticks. We shot ourselves in the foot with those penalties.”

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Game summary

► Turning point: With their backs against the wall, the Bearcats' defense answered the call late in the game. They forced a Cisco turnover on downs with 2:28 remaining, helping Hawley earn its first region championship in school history. Cisco drew up a well-designed reverse pass, but Hunter Long was stopped short of the line to gain.

► Player of the game: Diontay Ramon, RB/WR, Hawley — Ramon made his first start in the Bearcats' backfield on Friday, replacing the injured Austin Cumpton. His productivity increased throughout the game, finishing with 86 rushing yards and a touchdown.

► Key stat: Seven Cisco penalties. Cisco got in its own way several times, committing a handful of costly penalties. The pass interference on Hawley's field goal drive was a "game changer," per head coach Kevin Stennett.

► Coach Ables said: "I'm super proud of them. What an outstanding game. We're going to enjoy the heck out of this, have a party in the dressing room. Hats off to Cisco for sure. It was a knock-down, drag-out until the final buzzer.”

► Coach Stennett said: "I’m very proud of the way we blocked up front and ran the football,” Stennett said. “We blocked well and played a great game, but you can’t get behind the sticks. We shot ourselves in the foot with those penalties.”

► Impact: Hawley wins the Region I-2A Division I title and advances to the semifinals. Cisco finishes 11-3.

► Up next: Hawley plays the winner of Region II, pitting Marlin against Crawford.

Hawley 17, Cisco 14

CIS ... 7 ... 7 ... 0 ... 0

HAW ... 0 ... 7 ... 7 ... 3

FIRST QUARTER

CIS — Hunter Long 5 run (Michael Cadenhead kick), 1:34

SECOND QUARTER

HAW — Diontay Ramon 28 run (Kason O'Shields kick), 11:15

CIS — Long 1 run (Cadenhead kick), 2:35

THIRD QUARTER

HAW — Aeneas Segura 4 run (O'Shields kick), 3:14

FOURTH QUARTER

HAW — O'Shields 29 field goal, 7:47

TEAM STATISTICS

...................... Cisco ... Hawley

First Downs ... 17 ... 13

Rushes-Yards ... 42-268 ... 32-140

Passing ... 23 ... 112

Comp-Att-Int ... 3-10-2 ... 11-21-2

Fumbles-Lost ... 1-1 ... 1-1

Penalties-Yards ... 7-70 ... 3-15

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING: Cisco, Hunter Long 25-153, Trenton Huston 15-109, Tre Brackeen 2-6. Hawley, Diontay Ramon 18-86, Rodey Hooper 4-12, Aeneas Segura 2-7, Chandlin Myers 1-5, Lawson Bailey 2- -3, Kason O'Shields 1- -4.

PASSING: Cisco, Hunter Long 2-9-20, Tre Brackeen 1-1-3. Hawley, Rodey Hooper 11-20-112, Kason O'Shields 0-1-0.

RECEIVING: Cisco, Tre Brackeen 1-22, Hunter Long 1-3, Trenton Huston 1- -2. Hawley, Aeneas Segura 4-80, Chandlin Myers 3-25, Will Scott 2-5, Kason O'Shields 2-2.